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Dive Review of RIDING ROCK INN in
Bahamas/SAN SALVADOR ISLAND

RIDING ROCK INN, Jan, 2006,

by ROBERT DION, FL, USA . Report 2975.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This is the only island in the carribean that has schooling hammerheads. the best wall diving i have ever done in the carribean. the wall starts a few hundred feet from shore at 30-60 feet then a sheer dropoff to the lower ledge at 170-270 feet then down to the abyss. boat rides are 3 min -55 min. the 2 boats are very comfortable (42 foot) with a bathroom and lots of weather protection and sun deck. visibility is 100 feet plus in summer with flat seas. only 2 dive operations on the island ,the other one(cattle boat operator) sends their divers to riding rock inn. there is a recompression chamber on the island. the dive staff do everything for you. they bring your gear to the boat where it stays all week, they clean it and bring it back to your room at the end of the week, they change tanks for you and bring it to the back of the boat for you so you do not have to walk with it on. they love their job and are constantly helping whether it be a ride into town or taking you to see something that is not on the island tour that is a part of the dive package. they are working on getting National Marine park status. there is rental gear but nothing to buy except t-shirts. the only real nightlife is at the Riding Rock Inn bar call the Driftwood inn which is covered with dive things autographed by divers and fishermen. The fishing is world class with many records being set there.Fishing excursion was awesome. caught blue marlin, tuna and wahoo.Riding Rock Inn has been open since 1959 and is a diamond in the rough. I cant get enough of it.People who know about San Salvador Island seem to come back every year.

Throughout the weeks we seen schools of hammerhead sharks ranging from 3 - 15 and then on my last dive of the week, right before our picnic, I was doing my safety stop and a large spotted eagleray came by, so I descended to get some pics. Once I got back to the safety stop lines I seen a school of hammerheads coming towards me. 26 hammerheads just slowly swam by. awesome safety stop. the week before we had a 14 foot giant manta come from the ledge at 250 feet up to us and swim around on top of the wall at 45 feet. A friend of mine phoned me to tell me that she seen/video taped a school of 30 hammerheads in early sept. 2006. Because of the ease of diving, no currents, no need for a compass, amazing visibility, from seahorse and lettuce sea slug to scorpionfish and even lionfish to giant mantas and schooling hammerheads, this place out-shines better known Carribean and Bahamian dive locations.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving CANADA, INDONESIA, THAILAND, CAYMAN ISLANDS, GALAPAGOS, MEXICO, ST.MARTIN, USA, BAHAMAS
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny,dry Seas calm
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Dive profile is 130ft on first dive unless you go through a deeper swimthrough with the group, 70 feet on the second dive and 100 feet on the afternoon dive.

no dive restrictions outside of the normal
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments NO FACILITIES YET. OUTSTANDING VISIBILITY FOR PHOTOGRAPHY. I TOOK THOUSANDS OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF SMALL CRITTERS ON THE WALL, BEAUTIFUL WIDE ANGLE SCENERY IN SWIMTHROUGHS, LOTS OF ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS( friendly nassau groupers, lazy turtles, stingrays, moray eels, hammerheads, reefsharks and nursesharks on every dive. divemasters find big and small stuff for everyone to enjoy.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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